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Lethal Force or Self-Defense?

A group of Mexican drug smugglers were spotted by US Border Patrol on October 10th and chased around the fence until Border Patrol agents shot and killed one of the smugglers, a sixteen year old boy. Authorities say that the Mexican smugglers were pelting Border Patrol agents with rocks the size of baseballs in an effort to distract and annoy them. In what some would call an act of self defense, one agent opened fire.

This conflict at the border raises much controversy. Some claim that Border Patrol’s lethal force was unnecessary and should be considered a criminal act. Others believe that the agents were reacting and defending themselves from the potentially dangerous rocks that the Mexican smugglers threw.

It should be noted that Mexicans attempting to illegally cross the border have sometimes been known to throw rocks and other objects at Border Patrol agents, and there have been injuries reported of being hit by said objects.

While there will probably not be any actions taken by either side in this controversy, it still poses an important question. Is Border Patrol qualified to use lethal force in self-defense? Or are they supposed to act peacefully and let people pelt them with rocks in an effort to promote healthy relations between the United States and Mexico?

What I wonder is how many of these incidents go untold? There are more deaths causing the border than we realize and I dont think any action has been taken on either side. Border Patrol has been getting more and more violent and I wonder when limits will be placed or if they will ever be held responsible for their actions

I believe that the use of force was disproportional to the crime. It could have been handled in a more peaceful manner; lethal force should only be used as a last resort. A life should not have been lost in this encounter.